Coaches demand review for SEA Games boxers
Coaches demand review for SEA Games boxers
JAKARTA (JP): Boxing coaches demanded the Indonesian Amateur
Boxing Association (Pertina) evaluate boxers being trained for
the Kuala Lumpur 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, following
their poor performance in the just-concluded Golden Gloves boxing
championships in Semarang.
"The national boxers did not show the quality expected of
Indonesian representatives in an event as prestigious as the SEA
Games," Husen Barakati of North Maluku was quoted as saying by
Antara news agency.
Other coaches said most of the boxers who fared poorly in the
Golden Gloves were in the 45-kilogram to 54-kilogram weight
classes, which were thought to be strong points for Indonesian
boxing.
"Boxers who failed in the event must be evaluated. We are
concerned that they will bring catastrophe to the Indonesian
boxing team, because they are actually meant to be our best
athletes," said Togi Tobing of West Sumatra.
The coaches pointed out that Dickson Ton of East Nusa Tenggara
won the light flyweight division in the Golden Gloves despite the
presence of two national boxers, Roland Latuni and Alredo
Rumbiak, in the division.
Another example given was Suwardoyo of Central Java, who won
the flyweight title over three national boxers, Karel Muskanan,
Peron Matulesi an Melky Lelemboto.
In the bantamweight division, Antonius Johni of South
Kalimantan grabbed the title despite the presence of SEA Games
squad members Juan Saparipan, Ricky Lotty and Afriadin.
"The national boxers are trained by a foreign coach from Cuba
but they failed to perform better than the locally trained
boxers," said Boy Kelung of Jakarta.
The coaches expressed their readiness to help prepare the
national squad by forming four teams made up of non-national
boxers for try-out purposes.
"But Pertina must accept the consequences if the national
boxers lose to our boxers, and send our boxers to the SEA Games,"
said Hengky Kosmo of Central Kalimantan.
Pertina boxing project manager R. Mulyono admitted the
national boxers had not yet peaked.
"The boxers are still in the physical fitness stage and have
not yet begun technical drills. So it is natural they lost," he
said.
"However, Pertina will study the suggestions of the coaches,
and we will evaluate the results (of the Golden Gloves)," he
added.
The head coach of the SEA Games squad, Carlos JP Torres,
denied his boxers were not qualified to take part in the Games.
"All the national boxers performed well. But the problem is
most of the judges did not count their clean hits. I suspect that
there is something going on here."
In the Golden Gloves, Suwardoyo was named the best boxer while
David Isikewar of Maluku, who fought in the lightweight division,
was named favorite boxer. (har/nvn)